Matt Leeser2015-03-31T17:22:38-04:00Matt Leeserhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=matt-leeserCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Matt LeeserGood old fashioned elbow grease.Technology in the Home: The Connected Home Becomes a Realitytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2014:/theblog//3.61833622014-11-19T03:55:01-05:002015-01-18T05:59:01-05:00Matt Leeserhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-leeser/
The big technology story for us recently has been connectivity. As technology advances, more devices are becoming wireless, bringing the dream of a fully automated home closer to reality. This year we are seeing more of our customers embrace smart technology that shapes the way we live, and how we run our homes.

No strangers to the idea of connected products, we have now reached the stage where the average person has three wifi-enabled devices in their home. Linked to this, portability was a big factor for our customers so far this year, with sales of convertible tablets up 695 per cent, fulfilling the need for powerful, practical devices.

The appetite for connectivity is extending to products beyond the computing and communication categories. John Lewis customers are looking to the power of intelligent technology to take the hassle out of household chores, save money and make their homes work in a way that suits their increasingly busy lifestyles. The best example of this is the growth in sales of the Nest Learning Thermostat. This is a thermostat that allows our customers to set the heating to come on during their journey home from work, so that the home is warm and welcoming on their arrival. Even during this year's clement summer, we saw a 30 per cent increase in sales.

Similarly, smart washing machines launched in February this year. The range by Samsung can be controlled remotely via an app, meaning you don't need to leave wet washing sitting all day until you get home from work, as you can start the cycle remotely whenever you like. We have also seen increasing interest in smart TV technology. The recently launched Chromecast from Google allows users to make their existing TVs 'Smart', by connecting it to their laptops, tablets or smartphones to stream online content.

In the future, we expect to see a home where all appliances are connected, and can be controlled by one central hub, allowing personalisation and greater lifestyle choice.

The use of technology to afford greater personalisation also extends to wearable tech, with many of the recent developments designed to help us monitor our health and wellbeing. Everything from calorie counting, to monitoring heart rate whilst running or walking can now be recorded. We have seen a big surge across this sector, with sales of wearable tech showing a 395 per cent uplift compared to last year. A good example is the Moto 360 Smart watch, which has been very popular since launching in October. Consumers are embracing the convenience of a watch which cannot only tell them the time, but also display notifications based on emails, the weather, traffic or even their heart rate.

The increasing appetite for technology has led to the emergence of the 'prosumer' -- someone who demands superior products that might once have been the preserve of professionals or experts, even just for a hobby or leisure activity. A good example here is within photography. Sales of lenses costing £2,000 and above were up a staggering 2,400 per cent. Similarly the professional standard action cam, GoPro, saw sales rise by 466 per cent compared to last year, as adrenaline junkies and sports fanatics rush to capture their riskiest moves in the highest resolution possible.

Given the squeeze on housing stock in cities, especially in London, it might be thought that people are living in smaller properties, such as flats and studios. So one slightly surprising statistic was that less space did not mean that our customers are prepared to compromise on home entertainment products. In particular, the trend is still towards larger TVs, with sales of 50" screens and above up 52 per cent year-on-year.

The overarching trend in technology, then, is towards greater connectivity, portability and personalisation, with consumers choosing to spend greater portions of their disposable income to ensure that they get premium products to indulge their leisure, entertainment and fitness pursuits, as well as making their lives easier.]]>Technology's Role in Today's University Experiencetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2014:/theblog//3.59274402014-10-03T11:30:58-04:002014-12-03T05:59:02-05:00Matt Leeserhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-leeser/
The gadgets and technology that previous generations might have taken with them to university are really quite different to today. To any readers who went to university in the 50s or 80s, do you recognise the items in these photos?

If you were to give any of those devices to one of today's students, they might not be too impressed. Products such as tablets, laptops and smartphones have revolutionised the way students work - whether in the lecture theatre, in the library or in halls. During our Off to University period sales of laptops were up 33% compared to the same period last year. In addition sales of Windows laptops increased by 75% and interestingly sales of convertible laptops increased over 700% on last year, revealing the growing appetite for more versatile technology. In addition there is more demand for larger tablets with this year's students, as sales of 8" and 10" tablets are overtaking those of their smaller-screen counterparts, with sales of 8" tablets up 200% year on year.

All of these devices bring many productivity benefits to students' working life. Students can record lectures and watch them back rather than relying on handwritten notes or photocopied text books. They can collaborate on assignments in real-time using Google Docs or Skype, and then submit them via email rather than rushing into campus to deliver in a hand-written copy. And when they need to research something new, they can instantly access a bank of rich information online, for example viewing videos and presentations via university intranets, rather than wait for the books they need to be returned to the library.

In addition, the flexibility of these devices means that they don't just replace the humble typewriter, but also the TV, hi-fi system, games console and DVD player - allowing today's students to be better equipped than ever when it comes to entertainment. Communications are transformed too - if they are missing their old friends and family after leaving home for the first time, they can also use free apps like Skype or WhatsApp to keep in touch for free on their smartphones and tablets and reduce the amount of money they spend on their phone bills.

Aside from computing devices, there is a bigger list of gadgets on students' shopping lists to help make their accommodation a home away from home. While in the 50s students may have made most of their meals with a rudimentary kitchen set, today's students are heading off to uni fully equipped with kitchen gadgets like kettles, toasters, blenders, irons and the must-have toastie-maker.

There's no doubt that there's much more technology on students' shopping lists than in previous generations. But with the right products it can truly enhance the learning experience, as well as allowing students to create a home away from home with must-have gadgets to make the transition to university life more comfortable.

Images supplied by John Lewis]]>A Parent's Guide to Back to School Without Breaking the Banktag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.38344392013-08-29T04:01:51-04:002013-10-28T05:12:02-04:00Matt Leeserhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-leeser/
Our research shows that for many children the cost of today's school uniform, school bag and its contents amounts to £550.80**. This compares to an average cost of £252.40** in the 1980s and £231.20** in the 1960s, in today's money.

But this doesn't mean that going back to school should leave parents out of pocket. In fact, the good news for parents is that in comparison to the 1960s and 1980s, the costs of school bag staples, including stationery and lunchboxes, have actually come down in price.

Having said that, we can't ignore the fact that children today are part of a digital generation and have grown up in a world surrounded by technology and the internet. They are using mobile phones, tablets, eReaders and computers at home on a daily basis and the same technologies are starting to make their way into the classroom.

For some parents, this can be a rather daunting prospect. Customers often ask us for advice on what they should be buying their children, either to keep at home to support their homework assignments or to take into school for use in lessons. It's really important that as a first step parents ask the school what they're doing in terms of introducing the use of tablets, apps and the internet into lessons to help determine the best products for their family. As we look forward to a new school term, ask what changes the school has planned for the year ahead and how you can best support your child's needs through your technology choices.

Here are my top tips to help parents survive the annual rush in preparing their child to go back to school.

1) Buy Early
Back to School is a busy time so to avoid disappointment, make sure you purchase things like new technology, school uniform and key stationery items as early as possible. Many parents fear summer holiday growth spurts, and leave the shopping to the last couple of days but you can ask for advice in the school wear department on going up a size.

2) Check in with the School
Before buying new technology, it's important to double check with the school which devices they are allowed in the classroom and the preferred operating system being used by the school, such as Android, Apple, Windows etc. There is no point buying your child an iPad for educational reasons if the school uses Windows. Some schools also operate a no mobile policy in the classroom.

3) Label Everything
Things are easily left on the bus, lost on playing fields, or mistakenly taken from coat pegs. Cash's name tapes offer a choice of fonts and finishes, and can be discreetly sewn into clothing, bags and pencil cases. You can also purchase tags for electrical products.

4) Bulk Buy
This idea might seem like a big task, as it's an expensive business and it's often the last thing your children want to do, but bulk buying uniform items all together means that you may only need to wash once a week.

5) Don't Forget the Basics
Whilst times have changed in some aspects of school life, children today couldn't get by without some of the basics. For the first day of the new term, you'll need to make sure your child has all the right stationery (again check with the school for the full list), lunchbox and sports bag.

6) Do your Homework
Children often ask for the latest new technology craze or gadget so it's important to decide which kit is better suited for recreational use at home or as a study aid. When buying a laptop for school, you need to gain expert advice on areas like memory and hard drive size.

7) Get a Guarantee
Kitting out your child for the new term can be costly so it's worth investing in a guarantee that covers any expensive gadgets. Also remember that accidents can happen during school hours, so it's important to ensure you are protected against any damage to personal items that don't belong to the school so do check your home insurance covers these new purchases.

8) Get Protected
Even with the newest piece of technology, it pays to be vigilant and protect your devices with the most up-to-date anti-virus software.

Your child may seem like a tech-guru, but chances are they are not so savvy when it comes to accessing certain content online, privacy, protection from viruses and spyware and access to spending money online buying apps or making in-game purchases. This is why it's so important for parents to get impartial advice when investing in new technologies.

9) Why Not Pay Online
Many schools are now providing a service that allows parents to pay for their child's school excursions/visits and school meals online, via new payment systems. By paying online parents will no longer have to engage in the often precarious practice of sending their kids to school with cash in hand.

10) Home Assistance
Technology doesn't only have to assist a child while they're learning in the classroom; it can also be useful in helping parents manage the after school routine. Reminders can be set on devices for homework deadlines or security software installed to switch off access to the Internet when it isn't being used for educational research!]]>The Rise of the Teenage Tech Advisortag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.33643542013-05-31T05:37:40-04:002013-07-31T05:12:01-04:00Matt Leeserhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-leeser/John Lewis. You only have to spend five minutes in our stores on a Saturday afternoon to see the adults being led by their kids when it comes to the latest gadgets.

Our research of 1000 parents has shown it isn't a natural and comfortable fit for them with 44% using their children to help set up and use the internet. Twenty years ago the main technology worry for parents would have been asking their children how to set the video recorder. Now one in five parents need help to create a social network profile.

We are in an increasingly complex marketplace of IT and consumer electronics and if you haven't grown up with it, it can be bewildering for some and even scary for others. Four in ten still want assistance with working TV and entertainment equipment. Today's devices 'talk' to each other too and so understanding how each product fits and works together is crucial for parents.

It is clear that kids instinctively and intuitively know how to use this technology but for their parents it is a learned behaviour. Youngsters are growing up with touchscreens when using tablets and smartphones.

In fact, we often see younger children trying to touch the TV screens on display in stores to make them work. In today's world it feels like they learn to swipe before they even learn to use a pen so it's no wonder that parents are turning to their children for tech advice.

When it comes to purchasing tech for the family, in households where the children are Apple and iPhone-orientated, it may mean the parent might not get the depth of advice they need about other operating systems such as Android and Windows to make a purchase decision that is right for the whole family. Parents can use the expertise of John Lewis partners to ensure they are very well informed about the technology we sell, which can be a significant and expensive investment for parents.

We often see kids coming in with a specific 'I want this'. It is the kids leading these expensive technology buys but the parent wants a benchmark or sense check from us instore as to whether it is the right thing. Our survey also identified a trend for parents becoming a hand-me-down technology generation - having to use the gadgets their kids don't want anymore.

We see a lot of young families being trend led by their children. Their children want to have the latest and greatest equipment while the parent's need is around functionality. The child is the one who cares if it is the fifth version rather than the fourth so they tend to get the new product and the parent gets the old one. But they are still happy if they can get the usage they want and need from it.

While it's understandable that parents are turning to their kids for tech advice, when it comes to online safety, there are many risks for parents to understand and consider and a child may not be the best teacher for these. They include areas such as accessing certain content online, privacy, protection from viruses and spyware and access to spending money online buying apps or making in-game purchases. This is why it's so important for parents to get impartial advice when investing in new technologies.

More and more parents are wising up to the fact that they need to take measures to protect their children online and are looking for ways to do so. With devices becoming seamlessly integrated with the cloud and software such as Office 365, content can be shared in seconds. Parents need to know how to apply the relevant filters and restrictions to ensure that their children can share content in a safe way with an immediate circle of friends without being able to access inappropriate content or splash personal information over the open internet.

A picture taken on a smartphone can be edited by someone else on a tablet and displayed on a TV across the country without any of them being physically connected together by wires.

Content and information can disseminate much quicker than ever before and this is not an environment parents grew up in. It is all a far cry from that age-old parental worry of wondering if the timer was correctly set to record and whether a tape would run out halfway through your favourite programme.]]>Top Tech Trends for 2013tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.23448282012-12-31T19:00:00-05:002013-03-02T05:12:02-05:00Matt Leeserhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-leeser/
Here are the tech trends everyone will be talking about in 2013:

1) Tablet domination
2012 was the year of the smartphone (there are one billion in use and half of the UK population owns one). And now that the world has woken up to the joy of apps, it's inevitable that 2013 will be the year of the tablet. Once again, Apple must be credited for kick-starting the market with the iPad, but there are plenty of desirable rivals that can undercut its price (Google's Nexus, Kindle Fire HD) and outgun its features (Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1). With Microsoft recently entering the fray with its Surface, the battle for tablet dominance is really starting to heat up. Tablets are likely to outsell desktop PCs and netbooks in 2013, thanks to better-than-HD-resolution screens, thinner designs, improved interaction with TVs and prices that dip below £100.

2) Laptop/tablet hybrids
At present the tablet market is a three-horse race between Apple's iPad, Android and Microsoft. With all three systems offering an intuitive, enjoyable way to consume media, but they're less than perfect when it comes to hard work like creating presentations or editing spreadsheets. Microsoft's Windows 8 is likely to steal some market in 2013, due to this, combining the power of a traditional desktop system with a more finger-friendly tile interface. A swathe of much-anticipated Windows 8 tablets are due to launch in early 2013, but more significant is the emergence of a new breed of hybrid machines like the Lenovo Yoga and similar 'touch and type' computers from brands like Acer and Sony. These lightweight devices feature touch-sensitive screens and keyboards, will bring touch and type computing to the masses - usable in tablet mode for media consumption, or as a laptop for working. In the near future we can expect all computers to have touch screens.

3) Flexible displays
While a battle is raging to create low-powered, high-performance processors that will drive the next generation of tablets and convertibles, the most visible changes will be in display technology. We'll see the first Full HD smartphones at this year's CES, and plenty of 'better-than-HD' tablets too. It's also very likely we'll see the first commercial applications of another new display technology - flexible screens. These will allow the creation of phones and tablets that aren't simply flat slabs - and also opens the intriguing possibility of bendable gadgets and big screens that can fold away when you're not using them.

4) Smarter TV
The idea of combining the internet and TV has been a technology holy grail for over a decade. But it's only with the advent of hugely popular video streaming services like iPlayer and Netflix that it really makes sense. And while many new TVs feature web connections and smart TV services, the growth is smart TV is being largely driven by new set-top boxes from the likes of YouView and Freesat, which combine digital broadcast TV and on-demand services. 2013 will see a proliferation of small, cheap set-top boxes that bring the power of the internet to the big screen and allow streaming from tablets and smartphones.

5) Even-higher-definition TV
The first Ultra HD screens will arrive in 2013, offering four times the resolution of high-definition. This means delivering a staggeringly realistic picture and the ability to show 3D content in better-than-HD quality. As with 3D, ultra HD is likely to suffer from the lack of content available but that could change quickly. Many professional video cameras already shoot in Ultra HD - or '4K' as it's also known - and in 2013 we'll see the first consumer cameras that can shoot at this resolution too.

6) OLED
The most significant reason to upgrade your television in 2013 is a new screen technology called OLED, which delivers incredibly vivid and lifelike pictures on screens that are few millimetres thick. OLED screens work with existing HD broadcasts, with the immense contrast giving a previously unimaginable sense of depth. You'll already find OLED screens on high-end smart phones and tablets, but in 2013 you'll start to see them on big-screen TVs too, with price tags between £5000 and £10,000.

7) New consoles
More people are playing computer games than ever before, thanks to smartphones and tablets but trying to convince them to buy a dedicated console is a huge challenge. This is why Nintendo's new home console, the Wii U, comes with its own tablet as part of the motion-sensitive controller. The Wii U is the first major home console launch for six years, and is likely to herald announcements about the new PlayStation and Xbox consoles at next summer's E3 gaming show. These consoles are expected to be significantly more powerful than their predecessors, but also feature built-in motion sensors and are even rumoured to ship with their own augmented reality headsets that overlay your TV screen, and its environs, with 3D graphics and information.

8) Wearable technology
Microsoft, Apple and Google have all filed patents related to the development of augmented reality headsets - glasses that overlay what we see with context-relevant information. Google has demonstrated its Project Glass technology and even put prototype devices on sale. With smartphones already offering augmented visions of the world, it remains to be seen whether there is demand for this sort of Terminator-style vision of the future but it's likely that we'll see plenty of show-stopping augmented reality at CES.

9) Cooler cameras
Camera-toting smartphones have affected sales of low-end compact cameras, but they've also inspired innovation at the higher end of the camera market. 2013 will see a deluge of retro-styled compact system cameras. With high-quality optics and classic design, cameras like the forthcoming Sony RX1 and Fujifilm X series are reviving the tactile magic of film photography - while delivering picture quality that smart phone users can only dream of.

10) 3D printing
The technology that's causing most excitement in geek circles right now is 3D printing. It's already possible to buy your own desktop 3D printer, download 3D files from the internet, and print them out in plastic in the comfort of your own home. In 2013, it's likely that at least one of the big printing brands will push to make the technology mainstream, ushering in what could be the biggest revolution in manufacturing since Henry J Ford perfected the moving assembly line.

11) Energy saving
Eco-conscious shoppers have long been hunting out energy efficient designs around the house, from the now omnipresent energy saving bulbs to home appliances with high efficiency ratings, but 2013 promises to deliver a whole range of new and exciting energy saving products. Some of the latest designs mean that every day electricals are using less energy, with televisions that bypass standby mode completely and telephones that stop charging when the batteries are full. Expect to see a lot more of these kinds of innovations and maybe even products that cut energy bills by producing their own power!]]>Making Sure You Buy the Right Tablettag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22103492012-12-04T19:00:00-05:002013-02-03T05:12:01-05:00Matt Leeserhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-leeser/
Here are my tips on tablet buying:

It's understandable that many people may have not yet bought a tablet due to the sheer amount of choice, or have simply gone for the iPad option without considering anything else. Getting the wrong tablet can be a source of frustration simply because it doesn't work the way you want it to. Before deciding on a tablet, customers should take a good look at exactly what they'll be using it for, to get the tablet that fits both their budget and needs. At John Lewis, our partners are all fully trained to be able to offer the best independent advice to help customers make the right choice for them, and all our tablets come with a two year guarantee at no extra cost.

The platform: One of the major decisions when buying a tablet is deciding which platform you want to use. Once you've been able to settle on one, it helps to narrow down your options considerably. Out of the three operating systems, the iPad's iOS will be the most familiar to many people. It is a great choice for anyone who already has an Apple device, as the interface is very similar, and it is designed to seamlessly integrate with your existing Apple accounts via iCloud. The Apple Appstore is very well populated and you will find apps to suit most things you can imagine wanting to do on a tablet, and share certain app purchases with your iPhone or iPod Touch.

In the same way that committed Apple fans will already have an Apple account, Android tablets integrate well with existing Google accounts. For committed Google fans, especially those familiar with Android phones, then the Android platform is a solid choice. Android gives users a lot of freedom as to what they can do with device, with home-page widgets giving extra functionality without even having to launch an application. If you're more ambitious in how you use your tech, love all things Google, and want more freedom over how you use your tablet, then Android might be the choice for you.

The final operating system choice is the newly launched Microsoft Windows 8. Designed with touch screen interfaces and tablets in mind, but giving users the choice to alternate between the new-look tiled interface, or the more familiar Windows desktop look. This is a great choice if you currently have a computer running Windows and use Microsoft Office programmes regularly like Word, Excel or Powerpoint.

Once you've decided on your operating system, you can start thinking about the form factor of your tablet. Broadly speaking, there are two types of device, designed to be used in different ways. Smaller 7" devices, such as the Google Nexus 7 and the newly announced iPad Mini, are focussed around portability and entertainment. If you're looking to watch films or read books on your commute, or even a bit of internet browsing, then these are for you. Larger devices, such as the ASUS Transformer Pad or the iPad, while being a bit less portable, are much more capable of 'serious' tasks. Writing long emails, intensive browsing, or even a bit of work, is much easier to carry out on tablets of this size.

Samsung's Galaxy Note is a great choice for those who are heavy tablet users as it has a high definition screen and comes with a stylus pen which makes note taking and detailed work much as simple as if you were using paper and pen! It's worth pointing out that the functionality of whatever tablet you choose can be upgraded with the careful choice of the right type of accessory. Bluetooth keyboards, such as those from Microsoft, Apple or Logitech, can make it much easier to type out long emails, especially on smaller devices.

One of the last choices to make is whether you choose a model that only offers Wi-Fi connectivity, or one that also features mobile 3G data, like that on a mobile phone. If you're only planning on using your tablet at home or work, then a Wi-Fi model is your best bet, as it will keep the costs down. If you're planning on using your tablet on the go, whether for work or play, 3G will ensure you will always have access to the internet. While Apple's iPhone and some Android phones will allow you to create a personal Wi-Fi hotspot that you could connect your tablet to, bear in mind that this could push you over your mobile phone's data allowance, so a dedicated 3G plan for your tablet would be the ideal solution.

A final point to remember is that although it is easy to find 10" Android tablets for a quarter of a price of an iPad, this type of deal is often too good to be true, as corners will have been cut to reduce costs. This will mean a less powerful, slower device, often running an older version of Android, using a less sensitive resistive touchscreen, compared to the highly accurate capacitive touchscreen which is standard on more expensive tablets.